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Interior Monologue - John Proctor

John Proctor is reflecting in his jail cell the day before he is to be hanged for witchcraft. [1] He debates whether he should confess to a lie to save his life, but knows that would dishonor himself and damage his family's name. [2] He acknowledges his past sins with Abigail but maintains his innocence of witchcraft, seeing the trials as unjust and evil for convicting people based on the word of a lying girl. [3] Proctor ultimately decides he will not confess to a lie and face death with his dignity intact.

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9K views2 pages

Interior Monologue - John Proctor

John Proctor is reflecting in his jail cell the day before he is to be hanged for witchcraft. [1] He debates whether he should confess to a lie to save his life, but knows that would dishonor himself and damage his family's name. [2] He acknowledges his past sins with Abigail but maintains his innocence of witchcraft, seeing the trials as unjust and evil for convicting people based on the word of a lying girl. [3] Proctor ultimately decides he will not confess to a lie and face death with his dignity intact.

Uploaded by

daphne_wootton
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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INTERIOR MONOLOGUE – JOHN PROCTOR

JOHN IS IN HIS REFLECTING IN HIS JAIL CELL, THE DAY BEFORE HE IS TO BE HANGED

Strikes tally on the wall. Pause.


They be coming for me tomorrow. And what say I to them? Give them what they
want? Play them and play their lie?

You be a better man than that, John Proctor.

Aye, but tell- why should I give them my life? I did nothing for the cause of
witchery. I tried for honesty… it were pretence, I tell them! It were nothing but
pretence and people… people are dying.
Pause.

Elizabeth would understand. Aye, and the children… I am an innocent man. But
what say she to a life wed to a liar? A cowardly liar. And my children- what father
could ask for respect if I give them a name as black as this night’s sky?
Elizabeth… the children… they deserve better than that. They done no wrong.

But me… I have sinned. The Lord knows I have sinned.


Abigail. The deceitful whore, lured me to her bed of lechery and she did have me
there. She played on a man’s desires and I broke.
Pause.

Never does a day pass that I do not wish I had have put the little thief in her place
there and then. But I did not… and now I lie in the sin, and my family lie too.

I have given them that already. I have given them confession of my lechery, and I
am willing to wear it… Is that not enough? What man would throw away his
dignity to a cause not true? This is not justice.

Nay, it is evil. That they take the word of a whoring girl over that of a man… And
to bring out a lie in Elizabeth… I know not their motivation or their thoughts but
this…
Pause.

I tell, this is not justice! People be dying… like animals, they die.

Aye, and I will never eat. Mark this, I will not drink their water [except for to
keep my sanity] or feast on their petty givings of broth… How can they stand and
speak of salvaging our lives, when they mean to reap the soul from our bodies
this very next morning? Aye, well hear this now… I’ll not give in. They will not
win this. John Proctor will fight yet!

So, do I speak? Do I give them their lie? Aye, how they would enjoy the
satisfaction… Oh, how it would clear their pathetic conscience; relieve their
looming doubt and redeem them of their precious name…

“Mister John Proctor confesses to witchcraft- let Salem hear it!”


Nay! Nay! I will not have it! What of my name? I will not live in shame of a lie! I
will hold my tongue… and tomorrow I will be hang-
Pause.

Death… what of the children? What of Elizabeth? With no land, with no…

Aye, she will wed again. And so she should. I do not deserve her forgiveness; and
yet she give it. Never a woman has walked this land as pure as Elizabeth… Could
she forgive for this? Could she live with a liar? A man of condemned of witchery?
To walk and have folk die for their cause. The cause of justice; for what a man
does know as right. But to die…

Corey did it. The sacrifice of his own good life… Pauses and glances upwards.
What say you to this Corey? What say you all? Does a man give his life? Pause
with visible dispair. Aye, you are a good man Corey… a better man than I. A better
man than most. My respect to you, man. My respect.
A moment.

Who the fuck, says “a moment”?

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